FIX: Bad Data Files When Backslash Edit Sent to Screen

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft FORTRAN for MS-DOS, version 5.1
• Microsoft FORTRAN for OS/2, version 5.1

SYMPTOMS

Programs compiled with FORTRAN version 5.1 running under MS-DOS, OS/2, or QuickWindows, may produce files in which records are not separated by carriage return-linefeeds. All data appears to be on the same line.

CAUSE

Using the backslash edit descriptor to suppress the carriage return- linefeed sent after output to the screen can corrupt list-directed file I/O. Specifically, carriage return-linefeeds are no longer be sent to data files if output is sent to them list-directed. This means that no delimiters will exist between records within the data files, and subsequently, they will not be read correctly. The sample code in the MORE INFORMATION section illustrates this problem.

RESOLUTION

To preserve the carriage return-linefeed characters written to files when using the backslash edit descriptor, a backslash must be sent to a file or the screen a second time.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft FORTRAN version 5.1 for MS-DOS and OS/2. This problem was corrected in FORTRAN PowerStation, version 1.0.

MORE INFORMATION

The following code reproduces the problem:

Sample Code

      open(2,file='test.dat')

      write(*,'(1x,a,\)')  'write to screen'

      write(2,*) 'first record'
      write(2,*) 'second record'
      end

   first record second record

   first record
   second record

        open(2,file='test.dat')
        open(3,file='nul')       ! Open a file to write backslash
                                 ! to, NUL will not create a file.
        write(*,'(1x,a,\)') 'write to screen'
        write(3,'(a\)')          ! Write backslash a second time.

        write(2,*) 'first record'
        write(2,*) 'second record'
        end